Walking by Faith

"...a monthly spending plan. Shouldn't we all have one?" -Malerie Lee

I was recently visiting my friend Malerie in Troy. As we were talking the subject of finances came up and she began telling me about her recent success with the Dave Ramsey Total money MakeOver plan. She showed me the envelope system she had made with great excitement exclaiming that "I'm telling my money where to go instead of wondering where it went." For Malerie this system has allowed her to save, give, and has her well on her way to being completly debt free.

As I am starting with Campus Outreach this next month and gaining some more payments; rent, utilities, etc...I want to really be smart and take responsiblity for my life. I borrowed the "Total Money Makeover" from Malerie and have already set up my system seeing how this has helped thousands of others. I also like how simple the principles are and easy to follow.

I'm just getting started but I'm excited that I have a plan!

Dave's plan for getting out of debt is made of up seven "baby steps" that are aimed to keep you on track and prioritize the major financial management decisions that he says are key to getting ahead and building wealth throughout your life. The steps are short and sweet but not easy.

Here's a link to the steps online if you want to take a look! I recommend reading the book for a lot more insight and tips though!

7 Baby Steps

I have attached a link of a ministry in Montgomery, AL. It was started by a guy who formerly worked with Campus Outreach at Troy...This is a ministry worth investing in with your prayers, service, and finances...

6000 Feet Away

I would like to encourage each of you to consider your investment in a ministry that is seeking to bring the Kingdom of God to a place that seems so hopeless.

Someone once said "Change is good, if it wasn't, you would still be wearing yesterday's underwear." But that doesn't mean change is easy...change can be easy, but it can also be hard...scary...fun...exciting...stressful...all of the above....(from my friend Joy) ;)

I'm in the middle of transition now or so I have been lately...Getting ready for the change! I have some support left to raise still but i'm so close...91%! Going to Beach Project for return training the 29-1rst. Then hoping to move in on the first into a rental house and start work on the 7th. But what if I don't get the rest of my support raised? What if something goes wrong with getting the new house and bills in order? What if I'm not effective in ministry at South Alabama at all? Aaaaah!

As I was reading the end of Matthew 6 I was encouraged and also reminded as it says in Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

"Our Bible Study for young women on the eastern shore"

Some of the girls travelled from Mobile, Pensacola, and even Gulf Shores to be with us on Mon nights in Daphne, AL.

Kelly holding our book that we studied...."Search for Significance"



A couple of months ago I found myself still raising support of course but not involved in any kind of Bible study or fellowship. For me it makes such a difference in my life to have that (People who push me to walk with God). Joanna (in the yellow) lives in lake forrest and graduated from Troy several years ago also felt the same way to we decided to have a bible study and even if it was only me and her that would be ok! When we started to ask around we found that more and more girls in our area are in the same stage of life and really desperate for fellowship and accountability.

Many of us are campus outreach alums from south and troy and that is how we connected but some are fellow co workers and just friends we've made in the area. Joanna picked the book "search for significance" which has a bible study workbook along with it. Each week we would read a chapter and do the bible study with it and meet to discuss it. Our prayer was that "as iron sharpens iron so one man (woman) sharpens another." God blessed this group in each of our lives. One of the girls described it as "water for my soul." Haha we all agreed that it feels that way as we listen to the discussion about the gospel and the things of God it is water for the soul!

The purpose of the study was two fold....first to talk about the things that we put our significance and self worth in including lies from satan that we believe and the second was to talk about the opposite of each of those things and the truth and freedom that God has made us righteous. It was a great book for discussion and bible study and really revealed a lot to each of us in our own hearts about the wrong things we live by and the truth we are called to live by!

Most important to me was in our last meeting last night we discussed God's calling for us to know his word and spend time with him. We talked about how we should be memorizing God's word to hide in our hearts and really none of us are. More than that to get to a place of memorizing we discussed an easy next step to take to grow is just to read some in the Bible every day even if it's just a chapter....it's words of life that transform us and replace the lies that we believe without it! We need God's word to live and breathe and how are we supposed to fight sin and all the lies if we don't know or use our weapon that God has given us?

The group was a gift from God for this season in my life and has really done a lot to prepare me for the next season as I step into full time ministry...I'm so thankful for these girls!

One of the girls in our bible study brought in this poem based off of scripture and it was very encouraging to us all.

I MADE HER BECAUSE I LOVE HER

I made her. She is different. She’s unique. With love I formed her in her mother’s womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember, with great pleasure the day I created her. (Psalm 139: 13-16)

I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh. And the silly things she says and does. She brings me great pleasure. This is how I made her. (Psalm 139:17)

I made her pretty and not beautiful, Because I know her heart, and she would be vain. I wanted her to search out her heart and to learn that it would be Me in her that would make her beautiful and it would be Me in her that would draw friends to her. (1 Peter 3:3-5)

I made her in such a way, that she would need me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be. Only because I need her to learn and depend on Me. I know her heart, I know if I had not made her like this she would go her own chosen way and forget Me, her Creator. (Psalm 62:5-8)

I have given her many good and happy things, Because I love her. (Psalm 84:11 and Romans 8:32)

Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart and the tears she has cried alone. I have cried with her, And had a broken heart too. (Psalm 56:8)

Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone Only because she would not hold my hand. So many lessons she’s learned the hard way Because she would not listen to my Voice. (Isaiah 53:6)

So many times I have set back and sadly watched her go her merry way alone. Only to watcher her return to My arms sad and broken. (Isaiah 66:2)

And now she is Mine again. I made her, and then I bought her. Because I love her. (Romans 5:8)

I have to reshape and remold her to renew her to what I had planned for her to be. It has not been easy for her or for Me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I want her to be conformed to My image.This goal I have set for her, Because I love her. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Hey Everybody!

I'm going to the last week of summer beach project July 29-August 1 for the return of our teams to Brazil and Thailand (they will put on a presentation for parents, SBP students, and supporters about their summer- We call it the vision rally). This week also with all students together we will be having return training which is just getting ready for the fall and I will be spending most of my time with the staff and students of South Alabama. I am excited to get to know some of the girls especially. I want to learn how to help them with their spiritual growth and also they can help introduce me to the campus of South Alabama and help me meet new students.

I will be moving in my house starting that day august 1! My roommate Windy, is a nurse at USA women's and children hospital. Then our staff meetings start on Aug 7 for planning and I believe move-in weekend for south is on the 15th. There are several testimonies from people having been involved with CO or becoming Christians where they met someone who helped them move into the dorms....including me! 2 girls from campus outreach helped me move into my dorm as a freshmen at Troy! So that will be a big event where we are hoping to meet many new freshmen!